Amazon Go allows customers to simply walk in, pick up their goods and walk out, without having to use any cash register or wait in long checkout lines

Amazon has just launched its new grocery store ‘Amazon Go’ – the first ever retail store without a cashier. The store has already been opened to Amazon employees at Seattle. It will be thrown open to the public in early 2017.

The futuristic store which allows customers to simply walk in, pick up their goods and walk out, without having to use any cash register or wait in long checkout lines. All your purchases will be billed directly to your Amazon Prime account as soon as you exit the store.
Instead of cashiers, the store completely relies on technology. According to Amazon, the store is reliant on “sensors, computers and learning”. This new technology has been named as “Just walk out” by the company. It is designed to detect whenever a customer picks up a product or returns the same to a shelf.

Amazon has announced a consumer friendly store called ‘Amazon Go’ in downtown Seattle that replaces cashiers with technology. Customers enter the store using a computer vision equipped app, grab the needy items, and are able to walk out without stopping at a register.

Amazon walk out technology automatically detects taken items from shelves and embedded sensors also keep track of shopping carts. The app uses a range of sensors that detect customers take off and list it to their Amazon account if customers don’t place it back.

The newly introduced technology ‘Amazon Go’ is currently only implied to Amazon employees during the Beta program. However, it is planned to open to the Amazon customers in early 2017.

Amazon launched “Amazon Go” grocery store without Cashier

Possibly ‘Amazon Go’ like tech based stores are steps towards automated future. But ultimately, if techniques implemented to US physical stores, it could replace the 3.4 million US citizens employed as cashiers.

It is not instantly stated whether Amazon will expand this model with more physical stores or offer the technology to other franchises. However, an Amazon spokesperson expressed to the media that “Amazon Go will have at least as many associates as any other traditional retail store”

Spokesperson further shared in an email that “Amazon Go associates work both in kitchen and the store, prepping ingredients, making breakfast, lunch, and dinner items, stocking shelves, and helping customers”

Unofficially, it has been observed that the company is disjointedly designing drive-up grocery stores in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood and several other locations. A previous report by Business Insider, citing internal Amazon documents, said the company sees room in the United States for up to 2,000 Amazon grocery and convenience stores over the next decade.

Circulating rumors regarding Amazon was stepping towards the billion dollar grocery industry first hit the public in October. At the time, another Amazon spokesperson told media that they don’t comment on rumors or speculations’ when asked about the store.

Two tech model drive-through locations in Seattle without in-store shopping options are likely to be opened in the coming weeks.

Amazon opened its first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seattle a year ago and has since expanded to several other cities across the country under its brand.

If it does push forward with selling fresh food in stores, Amazon could put a lot of pressure on traditional grocers and superstores like Walmart.

Sayyar Gul is doing his MS Computational Sciences & Engineering from National University of Science and Technology. He is technology enthusiast with keen interest in new technological developments from around the world.